Premium Well - Reunion
by Dinas Emrys
Summary: Months after the Fall of Beacon, Team RWBY finally reunites, and Yang has a few choice words for her old partner. (Also includes a few drabbles from earlier in their relationship) Part of the Premium Well AU.
1. Reunion

**Part of the Premium Well AU**

* * *

 **Reunion**

"Blake!"

Ruby's face lit as she jumped onto the dark figure. Slamming into Blake's side, she wrapped her arms around the hooded girl and hugged her as tightly as she could. The black hood slid back, leaving a tired-looking Blake staring down at Ruby. Dark circles ringed her eyes, dirt and mud stained her clothes – she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

Everyone was smiling. Weiss, Nora, Ren ... even Jaune, and that was rare these days. It took them seconds before everyone crowded around their friend, jumping or hugging. With everything else they'd gone through, finding Blake again ... it was worth celebrating. One small bit of good news, despite the rest of Remnant falling to pieces around them. All of them were happy to see her.

All except one.

Yang just stood there, stone-faced, staring blankly at the rest of them. Looking over the top of Ruby's head, Blake met her eyes, and froze. The blonde brawler stood as tall as ever, arms hanging limply at her sides, one still with the yellow gauntlet on her wrist, and the other ...

Blake swallowed and looked away. The other was solid metal. From the elbow on down, Yang's right arm was a solid gunmetal grey, broken by black joints where the armored plates met. Red shotgun shells sat on a new yellow gauntlet, modified and altered to sit properly on her prosthetic arm.

The blonde disengaged her gauntlets with a click, the yellow rings collapsing against her wrists.

"I'm heading back to camp," she said, no emotion at all in her voice. Without another word, she trudged back into the brush, her flesh-and-blood fist clenched in a white-knuckled fist.

The others turned to watch her go, slowly pulling themselves off Blake. The chatter died. All the questions about how she was, where she'd been, all died in everyone's throats.

"You should talk to her," Ruby said quietly, once the silence got too hard to bear.

Blake took a breath and let it out, trying her best to forget the look in those violet eyes. "... she doesn't want to talk to m-"

Someone punched her in the shoulder. Hard. Looking over, she found Weiss scowling at her, ice-blue eyes narrowed into slits.

"That's not a suggestion. Talk to her."

"Weiss, I-"

"Blake, I'm _really_ happy to see you, but if you don't go talk to Yang, I will kick your ass."

Gold eyes met ice-blue, saw the determined stubbornness, and gave.

* * *

Yang was sitting by the campfire when Blake stepped into the clearing. A few tents sat behind her, forgotten as the flames flickered and moved, bangs casting shadows on the blonde girl's face.

"Where the hell have you been?" Yang asked quietly, arms still wrapped around her knees, eyes unfocused as she stared into the fire.

Blake paused for a moment, wondering what she was supposed to say. _Might as well be the truth,_ she thought.

"Vale," she said softly. "With all the wreckage, it was an easy place to hide."

"That's not what I meant," Yang snapped, finally looking up from the flames. Red eyes glared daggers at Blake, filled with a fury the Faunus hadn't seen in months. It reminded her of that night, of Yang leaping instinctively to her defense, of ... she shuddered and looked away.

"I want to know. I want to know why you left." The blonde got to her feet, fists still clenched as she glared across the fire. "I want to know why you left me there _alone_ , unconscious and bleeding in the street."

Blake swallowed. _I never should have come back,_ she thought, staring into the ground. She couldn't ... she couldn't stand seeing that look in Yang's eyes. She couldn't ...

"You weren't alone," she said quietly. "You had Sun, and Coco, all our friends-"

"They weren't _you_!" Yang growled, making Blake flinch. "I didn't jump to Coco's rescue. I didn't _need_ Sun."

Yang's jaw worked as she moved around the fire, her breath coming in short, quick bursts. "I'd lost almost everything that mattered to me. At least if you were safe, then _maybe_ it'd be worth it, but you ... you abandoned me. Like _everyone_ else, you abandoned me."

"Yang-"

"Shut up!" Yang shouted, her hands shaking. "You have any idea what that felt like? Waking up in a hospital bed, listening to my dad and the doctors try to explain why I couldn't feel my arm? I looked down and ..." she stopped, her voice trembling with rage. "Weiss was _gone_ , Ruby was still unconscious from whatever she did up in that tower. And when I asked where you were ..." she trailed off, the muscles in her face twitching as she tried to find the words. "You _left_."

Blake winced and closed her eyes. "I needed to keep you safe. You needed to heal. You needed time, you needed-"

"You know what I needed? I needed _you_. I needed to know I didn't lose my arm for nothing. I needed to know my _partner_ didn't see me as some broken has-been who was worthless as a huntress."

"Yang, I'd never-"

"Then _why_?" the blonde yelled, flames sparking along her hair. "'Cause I've had _months_ to think about it. Why you'd just leave after _everything_ we've been through." Yang's voice was raw and tight, and it was the hurt, not the anger, that drove the knife into Blake's ribs. "I wasn't useful to you anymore? That it? I lost an arm, so what good was I to you?"

"NO! Yang, I-"

"Then tell me _why_!"

"Because it's my fault!" Blake cried, looking at Yang through the tears running down her face.

"It's all m-my fault, Yang. He did it to hurt _me_." Something broke in her chest, the old wound from Adam's blade aching in her side. "Adam's insane, and he is never going to stop. He will _never_ stop coming for me. Never stop hunting me."

She tried to breathe, but it wouldn't come. "Anyone near me ... I couldn't let him hurt anyone else. What if next time it was Ruby, or what if he ..." her voice cracked and she broke off. Blake swallowed, trying to talk through the tears running down her face. "I was so scared, Yang. I didn't ... I-I was terrified you wouldn't make it, and after they were ready to get you out, I-I couldn't-"

"Couldn't what?" Yang asked, her voice quiet. "You couldn't stick around? Couldn't even take the time to let me know you were okay?"

"I-I couldn't ... I couldn't live with m-myself if he k-killed you." The sobs came freely now, tears running down her face. She tried to breathe, tried to speak, but the guilt wrapped around her throat. Try as she might, she couldn't stop crying. "I'm s-sorry, Yang. I'm so ... so s-"

She never finished. Arms wrapped around her sides, squeezing her in a back-breaking hug that lifted her off her feet.

Yang was shaking, and Blake couldn't tell if it was pain or rage.

"I am _really_ mad at you right now," Yang growled, squeezing her tighter. "Really, really mad. And we're gonna have a long talk later about why you're never pulling something like this again. But," she took a long shuddering breath. "I _never_ blamed you for this."

"You should," Blake choked out, the guilt tearing away at her, her throat sore and ragged.

"Why?"

Blake swallowed, and forced herself to look up and meet Yang's eyes. "... because I do."

Yang met her eyes, and Blake watched as the red began to fade. The flames licking at her hair flickered, and died, leaving the two of them standing in the abandoned clearing. Yang let out a long sigh, some of her anger ebbing away, and pulled Blake to her.

"Like I said," the blonde held Blake tighter and buried her head in the Faunus' shoulder. "You're okay, so ... I guess it was worth it."

Blake looked up at the blonde and saw the pain in her face. There was still anger, but not the blame she'd been dreading. Not the hate she'd had nightmares about for months. Just pain ... and a sense of betrayal.

Blake gave in then, and collapsed against the taller girl, her throat raw with silent tears and racking sobs.

* * *

 **Writer's Note: So, there we go. I know somewhere around two dozen people have probably done a version of this scene by now, probably because most of us can't wait until July (or later) to find out what happens. Like for _Fault and Failure_ , I needed the catharsis after the finale.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review is you can. Love hearing what people liked or didn't, and constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	2. Recollections - Bumblebee

**Author's Note: Place for me to stash any of the little drabbles, bits, and pieces together to add to the Premium Well AU. If you haven't already, I strongly suggest checking out the rest of the AU, including** _ **Fault and Failure**_ **and _Audiophile_** **, as they flesh out how the AU diverges from canon.**

* * *

 **Recollections - Bumblebee**

 _During their second semester at Beacon._

"I said I'm fi-ai-ai-achooo!" Yang sneezed, her voice muddled as she sniffed, rubbing the tissue against her nose.

Blake rolled her eyes and moved the box of tissues closer to the obviously sick girl. Yang took them, grateful ... if a little reluctant.

Sighing, the Faunus sat back on one of the desk chairs, looking down at the blonde and wondering what exactly she was going to do with her. Yang had spent days insisting she was fine - that she didn't _get_ sick. Ruby had nodded and shrugged, apparently she couldn't remember the last time Yang had so much as a sniffle. Yang had just laughed, saying her semblance kept any cold at bay, that her higher body temperature would burn anything up before it had time to infect her.

But it looked like the years had finally caught up with her, and now Yang lay in bed, the strap of her pajama top falling off one shoulder, pressing her nose into a tissue and making a sound that could give a foghorn a run for its money.

"May I make a guess?" she said quietly, waiting until Yang sniffed and gave her a nod.

"When you were growing up and Ruby got sick, who took care of her?"

Another sniff. "Me, usually. Uncle Qrow was always off on some mission, and Dad couldn't ... he shut down for a while."

"So you always had to be the responsible one."

Yang shrugged and grabbed another tissue. "Yeah, so?"

Sighing, Blake reached for the washcloth she'd left soaking in the bowl on the desk, wringing the warm water from it before laying it across the blonde's forehead. " _So,_ I think it's time you let someone take care of you for a change."

Tan fingers lifted the edge of the washcloth until lavender eyes peeked out at the Faunus. "You're not givin' me much choice, are you?"

"No," Blake said, tucking the covers tighter around her. "I'm your partner. And if you're going to yell at me when I push myself too hard, you should know I'm going to do the same to you."

Pushing wet hair away from Yang's face, Blake rested her hand on the girl's forehead and smiled. No fever yet – hopefully this was all just a bad head cold, and one that would go away after a few days. "Rest. _Please_. Taking a day or two off won't kill you." She smirked, and adjusted the cloth so she could look into Yang's eyes. "Plus, if you get Weiss sick, we'll _never_ hear the end of it."

Yang laughed, then broke into a wheezing cough until she collapsed back on the bed, looking thoroughly miserable. Grabbing the glass by the bedside, Blake pressed it to Yang's lips, holding it while she drank.

"Okay," Yang said, sinking into the pillows and turning onto her side. "You win."

Nodding, Blake stepped down off the bunk bed, grabbing another glass of water for her bedside table, just in case Yang needed it. "I'll come back around noon with something for lunch. But until then, please just rest. Try to sleep, if you can."

"Sleep sounds good. And Blake?" Yang pushed herself up to stare down off the upper bunk. "Thanks."

The Faunus smiled and went to turn off the lights. "Any time."


	3. Reflections - Jaune, Ruby, Blake

**Author's Note: Happens right after their reunion in chapter 1. I'll go back and move this to be chapter 2 after a couple days.**

* * *

 **Reflections**

For the most part, the group's camp is a quiet affair. Even with Nora around, and rest of team RWBY returned, there are long moments when no one has anything to say. Or even wants to.

Thinking back over the last few months of their journey, Jaune can't remember a time he's seen Ren and Nora leave each other's side. It makes sense – they were orphans before the Fall of Beacon, and now without their adopted home, Ren and Nora have nowhere to go. They've seen what happens when one partner leaves the other. No one's willing to take that risk again, not after Pyrrha.

When she's not planning their next move or scouting ahead, Ruby spends her time staring into the fire, eyes tracking across the flickering flames, trying to find some hidden meaning in the way their lick at the firewood. Everyone leaves her alone when she's like this. Ruby needs answers, needs to know why they all ended up dragged them into Cinder's private war with Ozpin.

Weiss keeps herself busy, handling chores at camp or working to help Yang with her arm. They're still fine-tuning the prosthetic, adjusting settings, trying to optimize it for Yang to use. Blake watches silently, either on watch or around the camp. It's obvious there's something she wants to say, needs to, but she never does.

Everyone seems so alone. Ruby and Yang have each other and Taiyang back on patch, but their uncle is who-knows where, and Yang's mother hasn't been seen in months. Blake's alone – she always has been since leaving the Fang, and the only relative Weiss worries about is her sister, and she's out helping Atlas fight back the new waves of Grimm.

No one has a home to go back to, some place they could be apart from here.

Except Jaune.

His home is still intact. His village wasn't destroyed by Grimm or ruled by the iron fist of a disapproving corporate tyrant. His parents and sisters are waiting for him, happy to welcome him home. He just can't even bring himself to see them.

He remembers how they'd reacted when he left to become a huntsman. None of them had believed it when he called, told them he'd been accepted at Beacon, that he was the leader of his team.

Looking back, maybe they shouldn't have. Maybe someone who hadn't cheated his way in, someone who'd _earned_ his place, actually deserved it ... maybe Pyrrha would have taken _that_ person up the tower.

It took him less than a day to work past the delusion that he might have been able to help. Jaune knows why she sent him away, why she confessed her feelings just before getting him to safety - he would have never stood a chance against Cinder, against someone with that kind of power.

He would only have been a burden, gotten himself killed along with Pyrrha. Even more likely, she probably would have died trying to keep him safe, covering for him like she always did, taking an arrow or a blast of fire that was meant for him. But Nora, or Ren ... they could have helped.

If Pyrrha had Weiss for a partner, the way the heiress wanted it ... maybe she'd be alive. Or if she'd been with Ruby from the beginning, whatever power Ruby's eyes had could have saved her.

If Pyrrha had _them_ at her back ... if she'd been partners with anyone but _him_ , she might not be dead. He has no idea how to face his family after that.

* * *

Ruby watched as the flames licked at the firewood, slowly turning the tinder black and shooting flinders up into the air.

It's another quiet night at camp. By now, Ren and Nora are asleep, their bedrolls lying side-by-side, weapons in easy reach just in case something happens. Jaune is still up, staring into the fire with a look of such loss that Ruby doesn't know how to describe it.

She knew what was on his mind. Everyone knew – no one could mistake the look in his eyes when he thought of Pyrrha, that far-away stare as he tried to think of something else he could have done.

Ruby knew that look well. Ren and Nora wore it on occasion, but they hadn't been the ones with Pyrrha before the fight. It flickered across Blake's face every so often, whenever she looked at Yang, trying to imagine what she could have done to save her, to protect her from Adam.

Even without them, Ruby would know that look like the back of her hand, from every morning when she saw it in the mirror. Those moments when she wasn't _doing_ something, when there wasn't anything to take her mind off the past, when she asked herself if there was any way she could have run faster, climber higher, gotten to the top of the tower a second sooner ...

Thinking back, Ruby couldn't really remember feeling fear. There were child's fears, sure. The dark house at the end of the street. The first time she saw a clown. But never _real_ fear.

It's a testament to growing up with Yang, how her sister stepped in when her dad or Uncle Qrow could not, how she always felt safe at their home on Patch. Even growing up knowing her mother was dead - Summer had died before she really knew her. There was no sense of uncertainty - it was just the way it had always been.

Home was always a happy place, filled with her family, with Yang watching out for her, helping her with her homework, making breakfasts and lunches and somehow managing to figure out exactly how their mother had done it. Or close enough to match Ruby's memories.

That's what made that moment in the stadium so horrible. Seeing Emerald across the battleground, someone she'd thought was her friend, knowing she was behind whatever had happened with Coco and Yang and watching her eyes drill into Pyrrha. When she was too late, and she watched Penny start to fall. When she watched the arrow bury itself in Pyrrha's chest.

She felt fear then.

* * *

" _You're going to be okay, Yang." Blake said, her head swimming from the wound in her side. "I promise. You're going to be okay."_

 _It was a lie, and she knew it. Nothing would ever be okay. Not after this._

 _This was all her fault. Adam had come for her. He attacked her. He had hurt Yang, taken her arm, because of her._

 _She'd never forgive herself for that._

" _I'm so sorry, Yang." Not that it mattered. No apology would protect Yang from him. Nothing could, not now that he knew how important the blonde was to her._

 _She had to leave. There wasn't any other choice. She would run, and Adam would come for her. He would keep chasing her, to the ends of the earth if he had to. Maybe even kill her._

 _But he would never hurt Yang again._

" _I promise, Yang," she said, tears running down her cheeks. "Everything's going to be fine."_

Blake woke with a start, pupils blown wide, barely able to keep from screaming.

It was a long, drawn out moment before she was sure she hadn't. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, pounding against the inside of her chest. Her throat was tight and raw, as if she'd been crying, the same way it had felt that night ... but no one else stirred. No one else moved an inch from their sleeping bags, too tired and too worn down to do anything more than sleep when the day was finally done. Except ...

Blake looked over, and found Ruby at her watch, seated on a large log in the corner of their camp. Crescent Rose sat across her knees, ready and waiting for whatever monster might try to hunt them. Her hood was up, covering her hair and turning her into one large, red silhouette against the darkened woods.

Blake was about to turn over and try to sleep when she heard it. It wasn't much, wasn't even vaguely loud. Just a quiet, sporadic intake of breath. The odd sniffle here or there. A choked breath or two from holding back sobs.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, getting to her feet.

"Yeah." The red cloaked figure said, too quickly to be convincing. One arm came up in front of the hood, and Blake heard the telltale sound of someone wiping their eyes on their sleeve. "Sorry, I just -"

Blake wrapped her arms around the younger girl, pulling her into her shoulder. Ruby didn't fight it, thumping into her chest and letting Blake carry the brunt of her weight. Little tremors ran through her shoulders, her body shaking as she was wracked with silent sobs.

"S-sorry," Ruby mumbled, her voice catching. "I j-just started thinking about Penny and Pyrrha and-"

"I know." Blake said quietly, running a hand along the back of the younger girl's head.

She almost said it would be okay. That things would be alright. That instinct to comfort, to tell Ruby that it wasn't as bleak or dark as it looked ... but she didn't have it in her. Not anymore.

"I'm here," she said instead. It wasn't much, wasn't some big promise. Wasn't a claim that the world would ever go back to the way it was supposed to be. But it was something. Some reminder that, at least, they were together again.

"I'm here."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading. If you can, please take the time to leave a review – it lets me know what the reader response is and whether or not I should do more stuff along the lines of whatever I've posted.**

 **So you know, most of these are coming from prompts submitted to my tumblr. If you'd like to see the drabbles before they get compiled, or select your own prompts, please go check it out at redsuitwriter dot tumblr dot com.**


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